If you follow Shaun’s RPG Reload series, and his other posts around here, you likely totally know what I mean by “a Shaun Musgrave game." If not, the elevator pitch of the just-released The Deep Paths ($3.99) perfectly both describes the game, as well as what a Shaun Musgrave game is- The Deep Paths is a super hardcore RPG, it kicks off with a brutal stat rolling system, and doesn’t let up with puzzles and gameplay that operate on a level of difficulty that folks used to Candy Crush won’t even know where to start.

The Deep Paths is actually the third old school first person RPG made by Steve Jarman, and each new release has seen substantial improvements. Steve kicked off with Descend RPG ($1.99), then joined forces with Crescent Moon Games to publish both Coldfire Keep ($4.99), and now The Deep Paths. I don’t think we ever actually reviewed Descend RPG, but Shaun did a full RPG Reload on ColdFire Keep which should give you a fantastic primer on who Steve Jarman is and what you’re getting into with The Deep Paths.

We also got a look at the game at GDC, which you’ve potentially already seen if you’ve been following along with The Deep Paths pre-release hype:

The game on Steam has seen a mostly positive response, and first impressions are just starting to roll in on our forums. Common criticisms seem to all lean on the game’s sky-high difficulty, so as long as you’re aware of what you’re getting into, chances are you’ll really enjoy The Deep Paths.